On the eve, three tenors were expected, but the Drome Ardeche European Championship will be remembered above all for the solo performance of the star Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian, already wearing the rainbow jersey, today conquered the continental stars. A solo ride that began 75 kilometers from the finish, concluded with arms raised with a 30" advantage over Evenepoel and 3'41" over Paul Seixas, who in the finale managed to drop a very good Christian Scaroni, fourth classified after 202 kilometers of racing. Completing the beautiful day for the Italian National Team were the ninth place of Gianmarco Garofoli and the eleventh place conquered by Marco Frigo.

A European Championship to forget, instead, for one of the most anticipated athletes: Jonas Vingegaard was never in the thick of the action and, indeed, dropped from the group after ninety kilometers of racing before withdrawing.

THE RACE. At the fifth kilometer of the race, Paasschens (Netherlands), Hoole (Netherlands) and Vacek (Czech Republic) pulled ahead. Among attacks and counterattacks, many tried to chase the breakaway, but a true chasing group was born only shortly before the first passage through the finish line. Breaking away from the peloton were Frigo (Italy), Štajnar (Slovenia), Vervaeke (Belgium), Larsen (Denmark), Casper Pedersen (Denmark), Prodhomme (France), Antunes (Portugal), Stöckli (Switzerland), van der Tuuk (Poland), Svrček (Slovakia), Belohvošćiks (Latvia), Wenzel (Luxembourg), Vila (Greece), Langellotti (Monaco) and Mifsud (Malta) while Slovenia immediately controlled the pace at the head of the main group.

Escapees and the first chasing group reunited at the climb of Côte de Saint-Romain-de-Lerps, and thus the European championship was led by a group of about fifteen units. The tactical canvas seemed well defined with Slovenia dictating the pace of the chase, but around the ninetieth kilometer of the race, Evenepoel and company forced the pace with attacks and progressions: Belgium's forcing ignited the battle while at the same moment Vingegaard was struggling at the back.

Several attacks brought the group closer to the escapees and, in fact, modified the situation at the head of the race. A large group was created that included Pogačar (Slovenia), Evenepoel (Belgium), Vervaeke (Belgium), Larsen (Denmark), Frigo (Italy), Garofoli (Italy), Scaroni (Italy), Prodhomme (France), Sivakov (France), Seixas (France), Hoole (Netherlands), Paasschens (Netherlands), Ayuso (Spain), Christen (Switzerland), Großschartner (Austria), Vacek (Czech Republic), Svrček (Slovakia), Skujiņš (Latvia), Wenzel (Luxembourg), Langellotti (Monaco) and Mifsud (Malta).

Seventy-five kilometers from the finish line, the two expected protagonists changed gear: Evenepoel and Pogacar moved to the front in tandem, but in an instant the Slovenian increased the pace again, and the Belgian was forced to give in, being caught first by Paul Seixas (France) and then by Juan Ayuso (Spain) and Christian Scaroni (Italy).

In the following kilometers, some tension arose within the quartet chasing the breakaway to understand how to best organize the pursuit, and so Evenepoel decided to drop everyone and continue the chase alone. The race thus transformed into a long-distance duel between the world champion and his Belgian rival; further back Scaroni, Seixas, and Ayuso.

The final difficulties of the day hardened the legs of the young Spaniard, who was unable to respond to an attack launched by the Frenchman in the last kilometers. Left alone with Scaroni, Seixas accelerated again to secure the bronze medal. While ahead, Pogacar was already celebrating victory.

FINISH ORDER

1 Tadej Pogačar Slovenia 4h59'29"
2 Remco Evenepoel Belgium 31"
3 Paul Seixas France 3'41"
4 Christian Scaroni Italy 4'04"
5 Toms Skujins Latvia 4'16"
6 Juan Ayuso Pesquera Spain 4'21"
7 Mattias Skjelmose Denmark 5'01"
8 Pavel Sivakov France 5'55"
9 Gianmarco Garofoli Italy 5'59"
10 Romain Grégoire France 6'52"
11 Marco Frigo Italy 6'55"
12 Nicolas Prodhomme France 7'18"
13 Tiesj Benoot Belgium 7'18"
14 Louis Vervaeke Belgium 7'18"
15 Felix Großschartner Austria 7'33"
16 Aurélien Paret-Peintre France 8'20"
17 Mats Wenzel Luxembourg 12'32"

all other riders withdrew